Desert animals

Camel
• Camels are mammals with long legs, a big-lipped
snout and a humped back. Camels' humps consist
of stored fat, which they can use when food and
water is scarce.
• Camels also have other ways to adapt to their
environment. They have a third, clear eyelid that
protects their eyes from blowing sand. Two rows of
long lashes also protect their eyes. Camels can
also shut their nostrils during sand storms.
• Humans have used camels as a means of transport
for thousands of years. They can carry about 170 to
270 kg on their backs. Domestic camels are often
the main source of meat, milk and even leather or
wool products. They are also known as ships of the
desert.

Thorny Devil
• The thorny devil is a small, desert-dwelling lizard
found only in Australia. Covering the body of this
distinctive reptile are several rows of sharp, thorn-
like spines. Two larger spines – one on either side
of the head – resemble horns, giving the species a
‘dragon-like’ appearance.
• On the back of the thorny devil’s neck is a ‘false
head‘. This bulge of soft tissue is used to fool
predators.
• The thorny devil usually lives in the arid scrubland
and desert that covers most of central Australia,
sandplain and Sandridge desert in the deep interior
and the mallee belt. The habitat of the thorny devil
coincides more with the regions of sandy loam soils
than with a particular climate in Western Australia.

Rattlesnake
• Rattlesnakes are highly specialized, venomous
reptiles with large bodies and triangle-shaped
heads. They are one of the most iconic groups of
North American snakes due to the characteristic
“rattle” found at the tip of the tail. The rattle is
composed of a series of interlocking scales, which
the snake adds to each time it molts. Muscle
contractions cause the scales to click together,
resulting in a rattling sound.
• Rattlesnakes are native to the Americas, living in
diverse habitats from southwestern Canada to
central Argentina. The large majority of species
lives in the American Southwest and Mexico. Four
species may be found east of the Mississippi River,
and two in South America.

Chuckwalla
• Chuckwallas are big lizards which are more common
in arid areas of Northern Mexico and the
Southwestern United States. They have a stocky
build. Their sagging bellies touch the ground. Also,
they have scaly, thick tails.
• Common chuckwallas usually live for 10 years and
more. When captivated, they can live for up to 25
years or even longer. Their lifespan depends on the
growing conditions, sufficient food supply, and
limited predation.
• Chuckwallas are herbivores. They eat plants and
sometimes, insects. There is only one species of
chuckwalla that inhabits the Southwestern deserts:
the common chuckwalla (Sauromalus ater).

Fennec fox
• The fennec fox is the smallest of all the world's
foxes, weighing only 1 kilogram. It has enormous
ears, measuring 15 centimeters, which it appears to
have borrowed from a much bigger relative.
• Fennec foxes are sometimes called "desert foxes"
because they live in desert zones of North Africa and
the Sinai and Arabian peninsulas. They are nocturnal
and avoid the daytime heat of the desert
environment. Their batlike ears radiate body heat
and help keep the foxes cool. They also have long,
thick, soft fur coats with a wooly undercoat that
insulates them during cold nights and protects them
from the hot sun during the day.
• They have been known to jump in the air 0.6 meters
high from a standing position, and they are able to
leap a distance of 1.2 meters.

Cape ground squirrel
• Cape ground squirrels live in tropical regions.
They prefer dry environments, such as savannas
and grasslands. They are also found in the
Kalahari Desert, which has an elevation of 600 to
1200 m. Cape ground squirrels live in burrows,
which protect them from extreme weather
conditions as well as from predation. They do not
hibernate.
• Cape ground squirrels have coarse, short hair.
The color of the skin is black. On the back of the
body, individuals vary between dark and light
shades of a reddish brown. The underbody, limbs,
neck, and face are white. They have small ears.
• Cape ground squirrels are found in regions
ranging from southern Africa in Namibia and
Botwsana to South Africa.

Gila Monster
• Gila monsters are black, patterned along their
backs with contrasting pink or orange. In the
southern subspecies, the reticulated Gila
monster, the light markings are broken up to form
a reticulated pattern. In the northern subspecies,
the banded Gila monster, the light markings
generally form an unbroken band across the
back. The largest lizards in the United States, Gila
monsters can measure up to about 22 inches (56
centimeters) in total length.
• The species typically live in oak woodland,
succulent desert, and scrublands. These reptiles
do not like to stay in open areas, seeking shelter
in thickets, under rocks, and burrows located in
moist regions. These lizards mostly found in the
southern and western Arizona to Sonora.

Peccary
• Peccary, also called javelina, the three species of
piglike mammal found in the southern deserts of
the United States southward through the Amazon
basin to Patagonian South America. Closely
resembling the wild pig, the peccary has dark
coarse hair and a large head with a circular snout.
The ears are small, as is the tail, which is generally
not visible.
• Peccaries are social creatures living in large or
small herds. They eat roots, grubs, and a variety of
foods. They can identify each other by their strong
odors. A group of peccaries that travel and live
together is called a squadron. A squadron of
peccaries averages between six and nine
members. The collared peccary lives in both
deserts and forests.

Dorcas Gazelle
• The Dorcas gazelle (Gazella Dorcas), a small
gazelle species, inhabits the Sahara Desert and
surrounding grasslands. Designated as vulnerable
by the IUCN, only 35,000-40,000 of these animals
exist today.
• The Dorcas gazelle is well-adapted to life in the
desert. Gazelles typically live 10 to 12 years. It
can go without drinking for its entire lifetime, but
when water is available, it does drink water.
These gazelles are active between dusk to dawn
when they forage for leaves, fruits, twigs, and
flowers of desert vegetation.
• The Dorcas gazelle stands about 55–65 cm at the
shoulder, with a head and body length of 90–110
cm and a weight of 15–20 kg.

The Great Indian Bustard
• Great Indian bustard, large bird of the bustard
family, one of the heaviest flying birds in the world.
The great Indian bustard inhabits dry scrublands on
the Indian subcontinent; its largest populations are
found in the Indian state of Rajasthan.
• Great Indian bustards are tall birds with long legs
and a long neck; the tallest individuals may stand up
to 1.2 meters high. Males and females are
distinguished by the color of their feathers.
• In 1994 great Indian bustards were listed as an
endangered species on the IUCN Red List of
Threatened Species. By 2011, the population
decline was so severe that the IUCN reclassified the
species as critically endangered. An estimated 50 to
250 mature birds remain.

Blackbuck
• The Black Buck is an endangered antelope found
only in India and Nepal. This graceful and beautiful
animal is found roaming in the plains of India except
the western coast of India. Nowadays, in India this
animal is found in many national parks of India like
Guindy National Park, Point Calimere and Vellandu
Sanctuaries of Tamil Nadu, Rollapadu of Andhra
Pradesh, few parts of Rajasthan and Haryana.
• The black buck mostly lives in open grasslands, dry
scrub areas, thinly forested areas. They are
generally seen in the area where there are good
sources of water all the year round. `Blackbucks
cannot sustain cold climate. Hence, they are mostly
found in the desert areas of Rajasthan and coastal
areas.

The Indian Wild Ass
• The Indian wild ass, as with most other Asian wild
ass subspecies, is quite different from the African
wild ass species. The coat is usually sandy, but
varies from reddish grey, fawn, to pale chestnut.
The animal possesses an erect, dark mane which
runs from the back of the head and along the neck.
The mane is then followed by a dark brown stripe
running along the back, to the root of the tail.
• The Indian wild ass's range once extended from
western India, southern Pakistan, Afghanistan, and
south-eastern Iran. Today, its last refuge lies in the
Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary, Little Rann of Kutch and
its surrounding areas of the Great Rann of Kutch in
the Gujarat province of India. Saline deserts (Rann),
arid grasslands and shrublands are its preferred
environments.

Sand Viper
• A venomous species of snake, the viper Cerastes
vipera inhabits the Sahara Desert. The snakes
have a length of about 20-35 cm and possess a
broad, triangular head and tiny eyes. The potent
hemotoxin produced by this viper kills its prey
almost immediately. Small mammals, birds, and
lizards are their usual prey. Another species of
venomous viper, the Cerastes also lives in the
Sahara. The presence of a pair of supraocular
"horns" helps to easily distinguish this viper species
from others.
• These vipers are pale, sand-coloured snakes
marked with dark spots or crosswise bars. They
habitually bury themselves in the sand to protect
themselves from the Sun and heat and also to lie in
ambush for their prey of lizards and small
mammals.

Saharan Silver Ant
• A unique animal, the Saharan Silver Ant
(Cataglyphis bombycina), remains active for only 10
minutes a day. These creatures have longer legs
than other ants and produce heat shock proteins
before exiting their burrows. Both these adaptations
help them survive the extreme heat of the desert.
• Scientists recently took high-speed video footage of
the ants in the Tunisian desert and discovered they
can cover more than 100 times their body length in
a second.
• Despite its stubby legs, the Saharan silver ant is the
fastest ant in the world, speeding along at 855
millimeters per second—or 200 meters per second if
it were the size of a human

Hyrax
• The hyrax is also called rock rabbit or dassie, is a
small furry mammal. It looks like a robust, oversized
guinea pig, or a rabbit with rounded ears and no tail.
Hyraxes have stumpy toes with hoof-like nails; and
four toes on each front foot and three on each back
foot. The longer, claw-like nails on the inside toes
and the back feet are used for grooming and
scratching. The bottoms of the feet have a rubbery
texture to assist in climbing steep rock surfaces and
trees.
• the rock hyrax (Procavia capensis) is found across
sub-Saharan Africa. These animals usually take
shelter inside rock crevices and come out at the time
of foraging. They live in big groups of 10-80 animals
and forage together.

African Wild Dog
• African wild dogs are also known as “African hunting
dogs,” “African painted dogs,” and “African painted
wolves.”
• An endangered species, the African wild dog
(Lycaon pictus) is native to sub-Saharan Africa.
Today, only 39 subpopulations of this canid species
exist comprised of 6,600 adults.
• Outbreaks of infectious diseases, persecution by
humans, and habitat destruction are responsible for
the decline in African wild dog populations. These
animals are highly social, living and hunting in large
packs. Uniquely, it is the females of this species that
leaves the pack when sexually mature instead of the
males. Antelopes are their primary prey.

Saharan Cheetah
• Saharan cheetah or Northwest African cheetah is a
subspecies of Cheetah endemic to Sahara and the
Sahel regions of Africa.
• Among the top predatory animals that live in the
Sahara Desert is the Saharan cheetah (Acinonyx
jubatus hecki). Only about 250 mature adults of this
critically endangered species survive today. They
are found primarily in the central western parts of
the desert.
• These cheetahs have a pale colored coat and less
visible spots and tear stripes than other African
cheetahs. They feed on antelopes like the addax
and the gazelles. Occasionally, they also hunt
hares. They are usually solitary in nature with a
semi-nomadic lifestyle. They mainly hunt at night.

Addax Antelope
• A critically endangered species, the addax antelope
(Addax nasomaculatus) is rarely sighted in the
Sahara. Indiscriminate hunting has wiped out large
populations of this animal. The species is native to
Mauritania, Chad, and Niger. It is characterized by
its long, twisted horns and pale coat color which also
lends it the name of white antelope.
• The addax antelopes are highly adapted to live in
the harsh desert conditions and can sustain
themselves without water for indefinite periods of
time. Thus, they are found in extremely arid
conditions, regions receiving less than 100 mm of
annual rainfall. They feed on grasses and leaves of
desert plants and obtain water from their food and
dew.

Death Stalker Scorpion
• The deathstalker scorpion is found in the dry desert
and arid areas of northern Africa and the Middle
East, making its home under stones and in natural
burrows. It is generally yellow-green in color, with
thin and lanky limbs. The deathstalker is one of the
most toxic and dangerous animals of any scorpion
species in the world.
• Death Stalker Scorpion is translucent and yellow in
appearance and capable of living an entire year on a
few insects. They usually take water from the food
they eat making them one of the most adaptive
Sahara desert animals. During hot hours, scorpion
hides in burrows or under the rocks. They usually
come in the night for hunting and love to eat spiders,
beetles and ants.

Ostrich
• Ostrich is a large flightless bird found only and only
in Africa. It is the largest living bird in Africa, where
an adult male ostrich can be 2.75 meters tall and
weigh more than 150 kilograms, the female is
somewhat smaller. The male is mostly black in
colour but has white plumes in their wings and tail
whereas females are mostly brown in colour.
• Ostriches are seen both individually as well as in
pairs, in small flocks, or in large aggregations,
depending on the season. Ostriches are one of the
adaptive Sahara desert animals and can run with a
speed of 40 miles an hour, comparable to the speed
of the gazelles making them one of the fastest land
animals in the world. Whenever they are attacked
they generally fight back by kicking their longs.

Falcon
• Falcon is the prey bird belonging to the genus
Falco, which includes about 40 species. Falcons
are widely distributed on all continents of the
world, but they are rarely found in Antarctica. The
Falcons are the largest birds in the genus Falco,
where the largest falcon is the gyrfalcon with 65
cm length. The smallest falcons are the kestrels,
which measures just 25 cm.
• However, adult falcons have thin, tapered wings,
which enable them to fly at high speed and
change direction rapidly. Talking about the
appearance, it has a hooked beak, aerodynamic
body with pointed wings and strong talons. The
species is most active during the day. It is a
carnivore and love to eat rodents, frogs, fish, bats
and small birds.

South African Lion
• African lions have been admired throughout history
for as symbols of courage and strength. These iconic
animals have powerful bodies in the cat family,
they’re second in size only to tigers and roars that
can be heard from five miles away.
• African lions once roamed most of Africa and parts of
Asia and Europe. But the species has disappeared
from 94 percent of its historic range and can only be
found today in parts of sub-Saharan Africa. These
lions mainly stick to the grasslands, scrub, or open
woodlands where they can more easily hunt their
prey, but they can live in most habitats aside from
tropical rainforests and deserts.
• Asiatic lions are a subspecies of African lion, but only
one very small population survives in India's Gir
Forest.

Jackals
• Jackals are medium-sized omnivorous mammals of
the subtribe Canina, which also includes wolves and
the domestic dog. While the word "jackal" has
historically been used for many small canids, in
modern use it most commonly refers to three
species: the closely related black-backed jackal and
side-striped jackal of sub-Saharan Africa, and the
golden jackal of south-central Eurasia.
• Their most common social unit is a monogamous
pair, which defends its territory from other pairs by
vigorously chasing intruding rivals and marking
landmarks around the territory with their urine and
feces. The territory may be large enough to hold
some young adults, which stay with their parents
until they establish their own territories.

Desert animals

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